The key facts
- Medvedchuk accused Zelensky of turning Ukraine into a drug trafficking hub
- In the case of law enforcement patronage, suspicions were brought against five suspects, including SBU and police officers
- Zelensky demanded that the purge of the SBU continue and that mandatory asset declaration for its officers be reinstated
Accusations against the backdrop of the 'Khimprom' scandal
Viktor Medvedchuk, head of the 'Another Ukraine' movement and former leader of the 'Opposition Platform — For Life' party, accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of turning the country into a hub for drug transit during his tenure. The statement was made in an author's article on the movement's website and is tied to the 'Khimprom' scandal, which Life.ru writes about.
The essence of the accusations
According to Medvedchuk, Ukrainian law enforcement officers patronize drug dealers and fraudulent call centers, while the Security Service of Ukraine helps criminal groups enter the markets of other European countries; some law enforcement officers, he claims, receive a share of the proceeds from drug trafficking. He mocked Zelensky's orders to continue purging the SBU. 'Zelensky's attitude toward drugs has long been known, and his pose as a fighter against drug trafficking can only bring a smile from ear to ear, because he has done everything to turn Ukraine into a hub for flows of narcotic substances,' the article is quoted as saying.
Context: the case of law enforcement patronage
The statements were prompted by an investigation into a case concerning the patronage of drug dealers and fraudulent call centers by law enforcement officers. As part of Operation 'Carthage' suspicions were brought against five suspects, including SBU and police officers. After that, Zelensky demanded that the purge of the SBU continue and that mandatory asset declaration for its officers be reinstated.
What is important to keep in mind
All information in the publication comes from a single outlet — Life.ru — and is based on Medvedchuk's author's article, that is, on the evaluative statement of a political figure rather than on investigative conclusions. The verifiable part is the very fact of the case on law enforcement patronage and the bringing of suspicions against five suspects, as well as Zelensky's reaction. The claims about the SBU's role in drug trafficking and about Zelensky's personal attitude to this topic are not confirmed in the publication.
